


Eating Dirt and Becoming Moss

by Ralli



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Body Horror, Cryptid Dream, Emotional Growth, Gen, George-centric, Internal Conflict, Kind of Fantasy AU, Manhunt but different, Mystery Elements, POV George, POV Second Person, Plot Twists, Symbolism, Temporary Character Death, cottagecore vibes, goblincore vibes, just a little bit though, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27704276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralli/pseuds/Ralli
Summary: You met him in the woods. The crazy man with the tea kettle laugh and bleached bone mask; he stuck out his hand, and dropped a moss covered rock into your palm.(Alternatively, George is just trying to live a life in the woods and this crazy florida man won’t let him)
Relationships: Antfrost & Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream & Darryl Noveschosch, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 124





	1. Call To Action (and the horn it is blown from)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I couldn’t get this idea out of my head. I’m huge into goblincore/crowcore and cottagecore and I wanted to merge them together, but then I thought of an actual plot for this. It’ll be short, 3-4 chapters total, but i’m waiting on the general consensus from readers. If you like this, let me know and the chapters will be produced faster.

You met him in the woods. The crazy man with the tea kettle laugh and bleached bone mask; he stuck out his hand, and dropped a moss covered rock into your palm. 

You remembered being extremely confused. His wheezing seemed to fizzle against the forest air as you rolled the wet rock in your palm. It’s not everyday some random stranger with no face gives you a rock. You tucked it away though, as to not seem rude. His laughter stopped then. No sound filled the silence. He just…. stared. At you. Even with the mask you could tell his eyes were locked onto your (admittedly short) frame. 

For the first time in a long time, you felt a deep sense of terror, the kind that came instinctually and locked you in place. Fight or flight bowed to much an more ancient response, freeze. 

He turned and you flinched, but he simply walked off into the forest, blending in with the moss on the trees and the dirt in the ground. It’s like he disappeared, gone, poof. One second you could clearly see his outline, then he walked past a tree and didn’t come out the other side. 

For a very long time you thought you hallucinated it. Maybe you ate a mushroom you weren’t supposed to that day, your hubris as a forager getting to you. It wouldn’t be the first time you ate something and woke up later in your bed, the tingle of a respawn fresh over your skin. It’s not that you don’t know your plants, it’s that certain flora look exactly the same as others, even though the books you’ve poured over swear they’re different. 

So you chalked it up to a bad meal. Until you saw the rock in your pack one day when you cleaned it out, and realized that you did meet a crazy person in the woods, and that maybe you should be more cautious next time you go out. 

Since that day, you couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Everytime you left your lovely little mushroom hill home you spent so long on, you could feel the back of your neck prickle as if someone was watching you. You tried ignoring it, but the feeling persisted until you looked over your shoulder every five seconds, anxiety creeping up on you. 

The second time you saw him, his stupid smiley face mask taunted you from the entrance of your cave. You glared at him from behind your goggles. You needed more coal, and your fear of the crazy man in the woods wasn’t going to stop you from going mining. You marched right up to that cave while pretending he didn’t exist. By the time you reached the mouth of the cave he had changed his position, now leaning against the mossy cobblestone you used to support the cave structure.

His mask tracked you, presumably just watching. You kept glancing at him from the corner of your eye as you did your safety double check. Pickaxe? Check. Sword? Check. Torches? Shit. Now you realize just why you needed more coal. Out of torches. You considered mining in the pitch black, but the monsters that roamed beneath had no sympathy for a dark-blinded man, so your best bet would be to go home, snag some torches from somewhere and pray that you came across some coal before you ran out.

You sighed deeply, almost theatrically, entirely too aware of your unwanted company. At least you could leave him alone, and he might be gone by the time you get back. You swung your pack over your shoulder and turned your back to the strange man. In hindsight, it’s never a good idea to turn your back to a person who could potentially harm you, but he hadn’t done anything besides confuse you at this point. 

He chuckled though, a deeply mirthful sound, delighted in your annoyance. Anger boiled in your stomach and you whipped around to face him, an insult ready on your tongue. It died when he once again held out his hand, head tilted slightly, as if beckoning you forward like a dog. You gritted your teeth. 

“I don’t want a stupid mossy rock,” You said, not entirely sure if he could understand you or not, and definitely not expecting a response. 

“It’s not a mossy rock, take it,” He replied. You’d expect his voice to be muffled but it’s not, it’s perfectly clear, like his chuckle, like his wheeze. 

You shuffled forward and stuck your hand out to receive whatever the crazy man wanted you to have. 

A stack of coal dropped into your inventory. 

“You’re welcome,” The masked man said. 

“What the fuck. How did you know I needed coal? Are you stalking me?” You accused, more than a little suspicious. 

“No, but the trees find you so entertaining. You're the first human they’ve seen in a while. They like to gossip.” 

“You’re crazy, talking to trees. Leave me alone,” You said. “Stop watching me.” 

The playful tone drained out of the air so fast it sent shivers up your spine. You suddenly remember why you should be cautious around strangers, especially those you find in the woods. He didn’t speak, didn’t breathe, and you wondered for a moment if he was even human. 

His voice made you jump, voice icy as the frost that forms in fall, “Well, you could have at least said thank you. You know, for the coal.” 

Despite your terror, a small spark of embarrassment lit up inside you, and colored your cheeks red. “Oh. um. Thank you, for the coal.” 

He didn’t reply but you got the feeling he didn’t take you seriously, or that he wasn’t impressed. He turned and once again you flinched, but he did nothing but walk directly into the mossy wall and disappear. 

Definitely not human. 

There were several instances after that, where you spotted him in the tree line, sometimes in the trees themselves. His smiley face haunted your dreams, terrifying nightmares of being chased, a sing song “Come’ere George~” ringing in your ear as you ran faster. They always ended in you being caught, a diamond sword pushed through your chest, blood dripping from your mouth. 

You began to expect to see him at least once a week, somewhere. He had favorite trees, ones he sat in or under for hours on end, and favorite stones to rest upon by the creek in the middle of the forest. You caught him poking a chicken of the woods mushroom once, almost curiously. Then, he pulled a chunk off and just ate it raw like one might see a wolf tear into a sheep carcass, right in front of you. Weirdo. 

One time you left a nautilus shell under one of ‘his’ trees, a “thank you” for the coal. You don’t know if he got it, but it wasn’t there the next day. He occupied a decent portion of your mind most days. There’s only so much you could entertain yourself with while doing the mindless stuff around your little house in the hill, and pondering about what exactly he _was_ just became a favorite pastime of yours. 

You left more gifts under that tree; fresh baked bread when you had a surplus, two lanterns you had no use for, a yellow (green) cloak that didn’t fit, too big to comfortably sit on your shoulders. One day, a glass bottle of honey showed up when you made the trek to the tree. A small scrap of paper (lumpy, like he made it himself) with the words _for you_ written in mud on it. 

You established a tentative agreement with him, through little gifts. More shells equaled vines, cloth equated to bottles of honey. Value received for value given. One time you left a really cool rock you found and it was met with a diamond. Your first diamond, actually. You put it in an item frame on your wall. You guess the masked man valued the rock much more than you did, to trade a diamond for it. 

Then there came a time when you didn’t see the man at all for months. Nothing. No sign of him. Your gifts were left uncollected, you didn’t see him at any of his favorite spots. At first you found it strange, but he was a crazy woods man who might not actually be a man at all, so you figured he’d be back. 

It got to you eventually, how much more quiet the forest seemed knowing he wouldn’t be somewhere in the trees. A year passed, mushrooms grew on bread you left him, moss grew on everything else. You built more of your house, tamed a couple of horses, died and came back a few more times. On the anniversary of his disappearance, someone knocked on your door. 

You opened it to the sight of a man with dark hair and darker eyes. 

“Hi, are you George?” He asked. 

You regretted nodding, because he immediately tackled you, rolling you over onto your back and pinning your arms beneath you. 

“What the fuck!” You shouted. “Get off me!” 

“Where’s Dream!?” He demanded. 

You struggled with him, hands pushing against the wood of the floor to try and get up. “What are you talking about?!” 

“Dream! Last time I saw him he said he was going here, to meet someone named George, so where. the fuck. is he?” 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about, get off!” You screeched. “I don’t know where your friend is, I don’t even know your friend!” 

“Bullshit,” The man snarled. “He said he was going to meet you and Dream doesn’t quit when he has a goal. That was over a year ago, clearly he met you.” 

One thing you know about yourself, is that you’re not as smart as you pretend to be. It takes a moment but you started connecting some dots. “Wait, are you talking about the crazy guy in the woods? The one with the funny mask? He never gave me his name. He just disappeared one day! There, happy? Now get off!” 

The knee in your back disappeared and you pushed yourself up onto a knee. You fixed your glasses and hair before turning to face your attacker. He had his arms crossed, staring with a fire in his eyes. 

“Dream’s not crazy,” He insisted. 

You scoffed. “He said he talked to the trees, he’s definitely not all there.” 

“Why did he want to meet you? Why you, of all people?” 

“I dunno.” You shrugged. “I didn’t even know him until like a year and a half ago.” 

“You see, normally I’d leave it be, Dream’s a grown up, he can handle himself, but he talked non-stop about it for weeks up until he left,” the man explains. “And now I’ve finally found the person he ranted about and you never even knew his name? That’s sus.” 

You shrugged again, unsure what to say. 

“I’m Sapnap, by the way,” He offered. It didn’t sound like a polite formality, but more like correcting a mistake. 

“George,” you said. 

“I know,” he said back. 

Silence fell over your house. You figured you should start being nicer to strangers after what happened with the mask man, Dream. So, “Do you need a place to stay the night?” broke the silence. 

Sapnap looked like he considered it pretty heavily. “No. I have to find Dream.” 

You winced at the idea of being out in the woods at night. You’d done it before, looking for a certain kind of mushroom that glowed. “I dunno where you come from, but the forest is not even safe during the day, let alone the night. The mobs are far worse here than any other place I’ve lived.” 

“I’ll be fine,” He said, pulling out a diamond sword. Your mind raced back to your nightmares, still plaguing you long after their main antagonist disappeared. 

And with that he left your house. 

Sapnap showed up again later that night, very obviously upset. Puffy red eyes, his throat scratchy like he’d yelled himself hoarse. You opened the door and he basically staggered in, uninvited. You wouldn’t have turned him away even if he did ask before lurching over your threshold. You lead him to your dining room table and into a seat. You always had two seats, even if you never got guests. The expectation that someone would eventually visit was enough. 

Sapnap banged his fist down, pulling something round and white out of his inventory. A mask. Dream’s mask. Your heart sank. People died in the woods all the time, but it still hurt knowing that you would never interact with the strange man who entertained you so. 

“I’m sorry,” You said. “Maybe he just lost it.” For some reason you can’t find it in yourself to believe your own words. You’ve seen Dream plenty of times and none of them have ever been without his mask. 

“Don’t… just don’t.” 

You nodded, short and clipped. Sapnap seemed reluctant to let the mask go, but he set it on the table with shaking fingers. The leather strap clinked against the varnished wood. 

Sapnap stayed the night after all. You gave him your bed and slept in your recliner. He left early the next morning, denied any breakfast you offered. 

He left the mask sitting on the counter. “In case you find him first,” Sapnap had said. You didn’t think he meant finding Dream alive. 

~~~~

Your next visitor wasn’t human, and was a whole lot more polite. At the three week mark since Sapnap visited, someone rapped three times in your door. You opened it a lot more cautiously, remembering your bruised back from last time. 

“Hi! I’m Badboyhalo. May I come in?” Your eyes met blank, white _glowing_ eyes and you don’t think you could have said no if you tried. Your mind snapped to Dream’s mask, sitting in a chest on it’s own for safe keeping. Did this man have something to do with Dream? 

“Sure.” You opened the door for him, allowing him to pass by. His black cloak nearly trailed on the ground and you noticed the sword strapped to his back. Another diamond sword. How do so many people have diamonds? You just have the one and it was given to you by Dream. 

Badboyhalo stood in your living room, looking from the bookshelves to the couch to the potted plants you struggled to keep alive. You’re still not sure how exactly you knew where he was looking considering the lack of pupil and iris. 

“So… is this about Dream?” You asked slowly. 

Badboyhalo nodded. “We, well, _I_ have been trying to follow his footsteps. You’re George, right?” 

You nodded “He never came in the house. I really didn’t know him that well.”

Badboyhalo hummed a moment. “But he talked to you, and of you.” 

“People keep saying that, but he talked to me once, and I’ve never met him before that. This guy seemed to think I knew what happened to him.” 

“Sapnap? Yeah, he’s convinced you know something.” Badboyhalo says sweetly. “You have a lovely place.” 

“Uhh. Thanks. Do you… want anything to drink?” you offered. 

“Oh no I’m fine. I’m here to offer you a chance to join us in our search for Dream. Even if you didn’t know him well, you must have been important to him,” He said. 

You gave him a look, a little bit pity and a little bit sympathy. 

“Dream’s not dead,” Badboyhalo insisted upon noticing your expression.“He’s not.” 

“You can’t be sure of that,” You said, instantly feeling like a jerk. You were right, but that was a really awful thing to say at the time. 

Badboyhalo perks up, “No no, you see I have this compass thing. Dream gave it to me, said I could always find him with it.” He pulls a compass out, the shine of an enchantment on it, the need resolutely points towards somewhere in the distance. “If he were dead, it would just spin aimlessly. It wouldn’t be pointing towards somewhere.” 

You were not that surprised, compasses like this do exist, but they’re really only used for criminals on the run. Badboyhalo acted like Dream gave him that as a safety measure, which is highly unusual. Almost no one had access to compasses like that besides King Eret, who lived thousands of miles away in a castle, in a city you had felt trapped in before you left. 

You wanted to go, you do miss Dream, in some strange way. It was very lonely out this deep in the woods, you only took a yearly trip to the village for things like cloth and glass, the things you can’t make yourself. You wanted to go, you really did. But you have tasks to do here, you can’t just up and leave, you have animals you need to care for, chickens, cows and horses. Your garden can’t get out of shape. You have too much holding you here. 

“I wish you best of luck on your journey,” You said. 

“You're not coming?” Your guest sounded surprised. 

You shook your head. “I can’t just up and leave. I hope you find Dream safe and sound, but if I have too much here that needs me.” 

“Ah. I see,” Badboyhalo said non-judgmentally. “Well, I’m sorry for bothering you. We have a lot of preparing to do, so I apologize for my sudden departure.” 

You nodded. “Good luck.” 

Badboyhalo took his leave, and you were alone again for another week. 

~~~~

Another knock at your door disturbed one of your rare off days, the days where nothing needed to be done and you could read or try your hand at baking one more time (you were just so sure you could get it if you tried hard enough). Internally, you sighed. You moved out to the forest to get away from persistent people. 

It was later in the day, a few hours from sunset. You had a feeling that you knew exactly who it would be at the door. They would have some connection to Dream, and once again you would explain yourself that _no, you did not know Dream well, and no you do not know where he went._

But instead of one person, it’s three. Sapnap, Badboyhalo, and a humanoid cat you didn’t recognize. They all had bulging backpacks and iron armor. Sapnap openly glared at you, not bothered to even try and hide his contempt for you. Badboyhalo, on the other hand, grinned wide and waved. 

“Hi George! Do you have room for three for one night?” 

“This isn’t a hotel,” You said stiffly. 

“I know, I know,” Badboyhalo started. “Sorry for intruding, but the compass is leading us right past your house, and it’s going to be dark soon. We’ve been walking all day. Even if we can just stay a few hours to rest that would be great!” 

You never figured out why you said yes, but before you knew it Badboyhalo took over your kitchen, insisted on making dinner for everyone as a thank you, and you were getting to know the cat man, Antfrost, over a glass of water. 

Sapnap just glared, everytime you pulled your eyes over to look at him. The fire in his eyes had died down to a simmer but hot coals still burned, and you had a feeling he wouldn’t cool down enough to be friendly with you for a long time. 

Badboyhalo used only stuff they brought with them at his own request, occasionally asking about where things were, like a frying pan for the furnace. He promised to do the dishes as well, but you wouldn’t have minded if you had to do them. Your conversation with Antfrost faded to a close, and the whole house seemed to stagnate. The silence dragged on for minutes, unbearable. You flushed a little, embarrassed and second guessing letting these basically strangers stay the night in your house. 

But they were your only connection to Dream. It had been over a year since he disappeared, why couldn’t you move on from the enigma hidden behind the mask you currently have in your possession? Or at least pretend you moved on like you did with the city?

Badboyhalo set a plate with steak on it and interrupted your thoughts. It smelled heavenly, and made your mouth water. “Oh, thank you, Badboyhalo.” 

“Call me Bad, everyone does,” Bad said. 

You nodded. “Thank you… Bad.” You tucked into your meal, enjoying not having to cook for once. 

~~~~

“I’ll go,” You said to Bad at breakfast. “I’ll need to pack and let my animals loose, but I’ll come with. We can each saddle up a horse of mine.” 

Bad had smiled at that, bright and wide. “Thank you. You meant a lot to Dream, as weird as that sounds.” 

“I don’t even really know him,” You muttered. Oatmeal cooled on the spoon before you shoveled it into your mouth. 

“Well he sure seemed to know you,” Sapnap huffed. “Why are you living all alone in the woods anyways?” 

You pursed your lips a little. “I didn’t like the city.” 

“Most people who hate the city don’t head for the polar fucking opposite. Aren’t there suburban areas you could live in like a normal person?” 

“Language, mister Snapmap,” Bad scolded. “Also, stop being rude. How would you like it if George started asking questions about your background?” 

Sapnap crossed his arms and turned his nose up at you. Breakfast passed in a bit of a blur after that. Bad sent Antfrost and Sapnap out to your stables to get the horses ready while he helped you pack absolutely everything. 

“I really do appreciate you coming with us,” Bad said quietly as he rummaged through some of your non-valuables. “Hopefully, you’ll fit right in.” 

“With Sapnap it’s gonna be hard,” You answered, shoving clothes into a bag. There’s only so much an inventory can hold and it’s best to put perishables and valuables in it where they’re safe from the elements, frozen in time. 

“He’s grieving. He’s on the anger stage, has been for almost a month now. He’ll warm up to you, I promise,” Bad explained. 

You nodded just because it seemed like the thing to do. After Bad left you pulled open the chest with Dream’s mask, and quickly slipped it into the last empty slot of your inventory. You’ll give it back if, no, _when_ you find him. 


	2. The Trials (and the eyes that judge them)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gates of the city loomed before the four of you. Ornate cobblestone walls engulfed the city, carved in various intricate patterns. Blackstone lined the edges and in some of the details, reinforcing the walls. The gates stood open, people coming and going on horses and feet. 
> 
> It felt so achingly familiar.
> 
> (Edit: I did some actual editing bc i was rereading i noticed some stuff.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo boy I spent my time writing this. Sorry for the hella long wait, i’ve got other stuff i’m also working on, but also I had a lot trouble writing this, but also i had so much fun writing it, but also— 
> 
> Long story short, enjoy.

Three weeks was the longest the four of you rode without seeing any signs of civilization. The compass led you through all sorts of biomes, places you’d only read about, and some you’d never heard of. But for the most part, you ran into villages every couple of days. This stretch made it seem like Dream intentionally led you around villages, which seemed to excite the other three, thinking he couldn’t be that far ahead to have such precise compass changes and to be aware of where your little posse was. 

You wondered a different thought. The land already turned sour under the horses hooves; swampy, rancid, sucking at their feet. You waded through shallow water sometimes, thankful for your steed bearing the worst of the muck, but some occasions called to drag your horse along with you as you swam in chest deep water. You hadn’t seen a village because there were none. 

Dead trees stuck out like sore thumbs of the water, a beacon of off-white in the hazy sun. The humidity glued your hair to your forehead and your shirt to your back. You slapped at an itchy part of your arm, little bits of plant matter and mud irritating to no end. 

You ended up coming across a witches hut, the witch nowhere to be found. A cat did show up, skin and bones and feral. You fed it a little bit of your dinner (fish, battered in powdered milk mixed with fresh water and bread crumbs from the stale loaves the collective failed to eat) and it seemed to like you after that. The team decided to camp out in the house.

You were the only awake that night around the slowly dying fire in the furnace, or so you thought. One of the tent flaps opened and Sapnap crawled out. You would have laughed, there was no way to get out of a tent that could be considered dignified, but your relationship to Sapnap was nonexistent at best and you didn’t think he would appreciate you mocking him. 

He sat next to you, a few feet away. You weren’t sure if he was going to speak or not so you stayed quiet. The cat you fed at dinner brushed against your side so you stuck a hand out to pet her head. 

“What’s its name,” Sapnap asked. 

You shrugged. “I dunno. Uhh. Potato? No. Patches? Patches.”

Sapnap looked her over, “That’s a good name.” 

You nodded. “She’s a cute cat.” 

The fire crackled softly as a log broke. The newly christened Patches purred under your fingers as you scratched her head. The stars above in the moonless sky stared down like hundreds of tiny eyes. It felt invasive; reminded you of the city. 

“Dream’s not crazy,” Sapnap said after a moment. “He’s different. Like Bad and like Ant. Not human. I’ve never once seen him take his mask off. I didn’t think it even could come off, not until…” 

You understood. It must have been crushing to find it wherever he found it in the woods. Now you understood why he wept so hard, later in the night when he must have thought you were asleep. You gave him the small mercy of not letting him know you heard. 

Sapnap continued, “He’s strange, but he’s not crazy. He’s got a connection, he wouldn’t explain it when I asked, but I figure it’s a connection to the trees, or the moss.” 

“He gave me a moss covered rock when we first met, actually. He laughed, well, wheezed about it until I put the rock in my pack. I wondered if I’d done something wrong,” You said. 

“He’s just like that, unpredictable.” Sapnap said. “Dream’s always been like that. He’s never disappeared for this long though.” 

You thought about your own ‘friends’, out in the city, and what they must have thought when you left with no explanation. Would they come looking for you? You doubted it. You have to keep reminding yourself you left for a reason.

“Who are you really, George?” Sapnap asked, but it lacked malice. 

You took a moment to think. It was late enough to justify telling secrets. But should who you are really have been a secret? Did you even have an answer to that? Who were you, really? (Again, your mind zeroed on the city, the heaviness, the judgement, the _crushing loneliness_ . People on either side of your apartment walls and you still felt isolated. What was _wrong_ with you?) 

“I don’t know. I used to live in the city, but I had to get away. Too many eyes, too many walls, too many complicated problems. I’d call myself a coward but I’m working on trying to like myself,” You said, like it explained everything. 

And Sapnap nodded, like he understood everything. 

“I’m colorblind,” You said. “If that helps you know who I am. I can’t see the color green, or red.” 

“Huh, interesting. You know, Dream didn’t like the city too. Never told me why.” 

Patches mewled and you restarted petting her. You hadn’t realized you stopped at some point. “What about you? Who are you really, Sapnap?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Sapnap replied. “I’m not as complicated as some ‘city slicker’.” 

He put a heavy accent on the end of his sentence and you chuckled. “I don’t think I count as a ‘city slicker’ anymore, I built my own house and I’ve only died of food poisoning three times.” 

“Yeah well, you still have the accent of a city slicker. So refined. _I’m_ just someone who happens to know some interesting people.” Sapnap shook his head with a small smile. “Dream… Dream is my best friend. I would tear this world apart looking for him.” 

You nodded, even if you didn’t understand how someone could be so close to another. 

~~~~

Your journey through the swamp continued for about another week, the compass never wavered, and the hope that the four of you were catching up slowly dwindled. Your friendship with Sapnap, however, grew daily. He went from ignoring you entirely to joking with you in the matter of days. By the time the ground turns from slop to solid and the air no longer reeks of decay and mushrooms he’s shifted his horse to ride beside you to make it easier for the two of you to talk. 

You caught Bad giving you happy smiles everytime Sapnap laughed at something you said. You gave him a smile back the few times you caught him. 

It took you a little while but your stomach dropped when you realized you recognized the land faintly. The few towns folk you met out gathering or hunting spoke in a dialect you knew, and with a sense of dread you figured out that you were heading south. Unease settled deep in your gut. You picked at your food that night, too lost in your thoughts to join in the friendly banter of your fellow travelers. Ant was saying something about hunting, but you weren’t even listening. 

South is where the city lies. The biggest city in the whole of D’reasempee. Home of King Eret, better known as the Blind King, sitting in his Pride Palace at the center of town. Your stomach curdled at the thought of going back, and you lost all appetite. You fed bits of chicken to Patches off your plate instead, the ugly anxiety inside you all consuming. You honestly felt like crying at the moment. _You left for a reason, you left for a reason_. 

You had one hope, that the compass would change direction. You could skirt around the city edges, like Dream had led you around the villages earlier. You went to bed clutching at that, using it to push aside the fear and sleep, albeit restlessly. 

Bad pulled you aside in the morning. “Are you ok, George?” 

You nodded, not sure how to express your fear of the city without sounding selfish. You didn’t want to go rescue a dear friend because you’re scared of what will happen when you return a city, _the_ city. It could’ve been nothing. It could’ve been everything. The uncertainty was killing you. 

“Are you sure? I have a feeling you’re hiding something,” Bad pushed. “And I get the feeling it’s not something you should hide.”

“I meant it when I said I didn’t like the city. We’re headed straight for it, if my directions are correct,” You said. You liked Bad but he didn’t have the same sense of easy vulnerability Sapnap seemed to exude. 

“Well, if you need someone to talk to, I’m here, and Sapnap would probably help too. Ant is a good listener, even if you’re not super close with him he’s very nonjudgmental,” Bad said back, gentle, like trying to comfort a frightened animal. 

“I…didn’t leave in the best of ways or on the best of terms. And people will likely remember,” You explained. “There will be some angry at me, and angry at the rest of you for being around me.” 

“Well, we’ll deal with it together, we’re your friends, George, and your doing us a huge favor by just being here and helping us find Dream.” Bad wrapped him into a short one armed hug. “You should probably talk to Sapnap soon, he was worried yesterday.” 

You nodded and Bad left. Somehow knowing that they would be with you when you stepped through the city gates felt like a relief, but it also made you burdened by guilt. You dragged another friend into your bullshit. You made another person willing to prop you up because you were too weak to stand on your own. You had to be stronger, Bad didn’t deserve the weight of your issues. No one did. Bottle up, George, now is not the time. You left for a reason. 

At dinner that same day, you pushed your plate with leftovers towards Sapnap, who seemed to have an endless pit for a stomach. He would finish what you couldn’t and you would have the opportunity to speak with him. 

“Hey Sap,” you started. “You can have the rest of my chicken.” 

“What’s going on with you man? you never refuse Ant’s chicken,” Sapnap asked, sliding the food onto his own plate nonetheless.

You sucked in a deep breath, gazing southward. “Nervous, I guess. Unless the compass changes, we’re heading to the city.” 

“Oh, the Blind King’s city?” 

“Mmm,” you hummed. “You know I don’t like the city.” 

Sapnap nodded. His eyes had questions but his mouth stayed sealed. You were not sure whether you felt relief or like you owed him answers. He took another bite of chicken and said with his mouthful. “I think the King is bullshit.” 

(“Language.” Bad protested, it went ignored.)

Your eyebrows rose in surprise. “Huh?” 

“Why did he become king? When did he become king? No one remembers. It’s sketchy as fuck, and I call bullshit,” Sapnap explained. 

“Oh not another one of your conspiracy theories, Sappy Nappy,” Bad groaned. “You were lucky he’s held off this long, George, it’s always some stupid thing every week. The Blind King is not a lizard person, and he was given power by the previous king who stepped down a few years ago,” Bad interjected. “Normally I’d be nice about it, but after the fifth time of hearing it I’m done. Also, language.” 

“I, uh, actually knew the Blind King. They’re not actually blind, you know,” You said. 

“Really?” Sapnap sounded disbelieving. 

“Yeah, their eyes just look like he’s blind.” You said. 

“No, I don’t care about that, you knew him?” 

“Sapnap! Rude!” Bad scolded. 

Ant made a noise from where he had drifted off. The three of you lowered your tone. 

“Yeah, I knew him. Their name is Eret, actually. He’s a very gentle person, if a bit eccentric, liked to wear skirts and shoes that made them taller,” You said casually. “You know, he’s met the Blood God.” 

The two of them gasped softly, and glanced around as if just saying his name would bring the Blood God to your small campsite. 

Sapnap shook his head. “No way, no one’s seen the Blood God for years. Mans fucked off to god to knows where.” 

“Language!”

“No, I saw him with my eyes,” You argued. 

“You’re colorblind that doesn’t count!” 

“That doesn’t disprove anything Snapmap, I don’t need to see the color red or green to know it was the Blood God. I didn’t speak to him at all but Eret had him over for a meeting a little bit after his coronation. They talked for a bit and he left,” You delved into further detail. 

“What was he like?” 

“Surprisingly less intimidating than they make him out to be,” You divulged. “He’s tall, but not very broad, not like you’d expect. He clearly wasn’t human, but I have no idea what else he could have been. He was like a pig, but kind of human. He had a really deep voice too.” 

Sapnap looked at you in awe. “You saw the Blood God, and lived! Oh my god, _the Blood God’s a furry”_

“Sapnap!” You hissed. “You can’t just call someone a furry!” 

“I mean, so have plenty of other people, he’s not like a… mass murderer without motive he’s a warrior, Sapnap. Warriors have standards,” Bad cut in, ignoring the ‘furry’ comments.

“Oh yeah? Aren’t you supposed to be a warrior? Where are your standards, Bad?” Sapnap teased.

Bad spluttered, and you continued your boasting with a chuckle, “He’d kick all of our asses, standards or not, if you say you wanna fight he will. You’ve heard the legends.” 

The three of you shared more stories until the moon rose good and proper and it was time to call it a day. The nervousness seemed to dissipate from you for those four or five moments you shared.

~~~~

The gates of the city loomed before the four of you. Ornate cobblestone walls engulfed the city, carved in various intricate patterns. Blackstone lined the edges and in some of the details, reinforcing the walls. The gates stood open, people coming and going on horses and feet. The smell of the city, horse shit and baking bread (it’s not as bad when you get used to it), drifted out with them. Vendors screamed at the people leaving to get their supplies before they went. 

It felt so achingly familiar. Somewhere deep in your chest hurt, staring at the bustle of the city as it grew closer. Your hands tightened on the reigns, you left for a reason, and now you’re coming back for a reason. A better one, at least you hope.

_“I mean, I don’t think anyone would notice if you or I disappeared.”_ The voice floated through your mind. _“But that’s just how it is in the city. No one’s watching you.”_ God how wrong _He_ was, you cursed mentally. The city has eyes everywhere. You left for a reason.

The guards stopped your group before you could enter the city, demanding identification. You scrambled to pull it out of your inventory, hands shaking. 

“Here,” You said, shoving the little metal plaque forth. 

“Welcome back, Sir George. Their majesty is waiting for you,” The guard said respectively. 

You cringed are the ‘sir’ tacked in front of your name. “How’s he expecting me, I just got here?” 

“Their Majesty received word you would be arriving from a traveler,” The guard explained. 

“Was this traveler wearing a mask with a smile?” Bad asked, leaning over towards you. Ant and Sapnap did the same. 

“Yes.” 

“It’s Dream,” Sapnap whispered, his eyes alight with excitement. “He might still be here.”

You nodded slightly. “Do we need to be escorted or are we trusted enough to make our way to Pride Palace alone?” 

“The guards at the entrance to the castle will escort you to Their Majesty when you arrive,” The guard nodded. “Have a good day, Sir George.” 

They let you pass, and you took the lead on the wide open market street. People stayed on the sides of the roads, letting the horses pass through. 

“‘Sir George’? What are you? A knight?” Sapnap teased. 

You flushed a little red. You hated being called a knight. Knights are supposed to have honor. “No. Not anymore.” 

“Oh shit, wait, really? I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have said that if I knew,” Sapnap apologized. 

“You’re fine, it was a long time ago. King Eret is prone to forgiveness,” You muttered. 

Sapnap shifted in his saddle. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t care what happened.” 

You slumped a bit and sighed. “Everyone says that. You probably would if you knew.” 

“Well I don’t know and I don’t care,” Sapnap snapped. 

You gave him a weak smile, the chunk of lead in your stomach never leaving. You were sweating and it wasn’t even noon yet. You felt years older suddenly. Coming back to face your problems instead of running from them makes you miss the days of your younger years. You were twenty four but you felt twice that age. 

You lead your group through the streets, trying your best to remember the way. It was practically ingrained in you, a series of lefts and rights that lead you like a mouse in a maze right to the end. There’s no prize at the end of the maze, only judgement. 

Your group arrived, and two of the guards led your horses to the stables. The other two lead you into the castle. Into the final piece of the maze. Into the white eyes of the Blind King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this chapter. I couldn’t decide whether i wanted to actually add george’s backstory or leave enough clues for people to figure it out, i also wasn’t sure what exactly george would be running from. Then my brain, in all it’s glory, went ‘heehoo he’s a disgraced knight’ and i was like ‘fuck yeah’
> 
> Also I’m really sorry to Antfrost fans I have no idea how to write him so he’s very much a background character in this.


	3. The Climax (well, the edge before it)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was your room, before you moved to a different part in the city. Eret was right, it was exactly as you remember. Someone had obviously dusted in the years you were away, but nothing had been touched. Your sword still hung on the wall, diamonds gleaming in the torch light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhh. Kind of a shorter chapter. I have a vague idea where to go from here and i hope people like it. This just got a bit longer too, plan wise. Might be five, might be six, but i highly doubt it. I feel like I'm dragging the story out too much. Expect more cryptid dream next chapter tho, lmao, i swear the tags aren't clickbait you just gotta wait for him.

King Eret never really took himself too seriously, in your experience. Whatever the rest of your group expected, you’d bet it wasn’t the Blind King, lounging across their throne, platform shoes sticking out one end, and a flower crown just barely clinging to their head. He left his kingly garbs in place of a skirt and a blouse, the only thing that distinguished them as the Blind King would be the pure white eyes that drifted over in your direction from above the dark glasses, and the blood red cape draped over the side of the throne.

“Ah, George! Good to see you,” He said, the warmth in his voice making you feel awful. You were sure they truly meant that. It _was_ good to see you, from their perspective. “I was beginning to wonder if this mysterious traveler was lying to me. But! My favorite knight has returned.” 

You sank to one knee and bowed. “Your highness, it’s an honor to be in your presence again.” 

“Cut the shit, George, we’re friends,” King Eret said, swinging their feet over the arm of the throne to right themselves. 

You cracked a small smile at that and rose from your bowed position. “Is the masked man still here?” 

“Yeah, but I have questions, George. They must come first,” Eret said softly. 

You clenched and unclenched your fist. Of course. “Can we talk in private?” 

“I don’t see why not,” King Eret smiled at the rest of your friends. “If you would like to rest for a bit before leaving, I can have one of the guards show you to the dining hall. There’ll be food there, help yourself.” 

“Thank you, your majesty,” Bad said, with a short bow. 

Ant followed with a small bow, elbowing Sap to do the same. Eret chuckled and waved a hand towards one of the guards standing by the door. “To the dining room, please. Come with me, George.” 

You nodded, falling into step behind the tall king. The only relic he kept to proclaim his royalty, the bright red cape, swayed behind him as you jogged to keep up. They led you through familiar hallways, down twisting staircases with banisters you remembered carving into one time. Your name should still be on one of these handrails, just out of sight. The nostalgia rang loud in your head, like the church bells you heard driving in this morning. Eret stopped outside of a room on one of the lower floors. You knew this place. 

“It’s exactly the way it was before,” Eret said. 

This was your room, before you moved to a different part in the city (before you ran away like a cornered animal, tail tucked between your legs). Eret was right, it was exactly as you remember. Someone had obviously dusted in the years you were away, but nothing had been touched. Your sword still hung on the wall, diamonds gleaming in the torch light. 

“Please sit,” Eret murmured. 

You numbly perched yourself on the edge of the bed. Feelings were never your strong suit. You either felt them way too damn much, an overpowering force deep in your chest that drowned you or crushed you, or you didn’t feel them enough (you never cried at funerals and you could never say ‘i love you’ without feeling like you were _lying_ ). You didn’t know why you went on this quest, it’s not like you felt connected to Dream. 

Or maybe you did. Maybe it was something different from your usual too-much-too-little status quo. It felt like a steady uphill. The inclination of hope that you could be good friends or that Dream would eventually mean something to you and be the first person you felt close to in years. You weren’t there yet, but sitting in the room proves you weren’t far from the top of the mountain that is Dream’s influence on your life. You couldn’t see it before, not until you looked at far off the ground you already were. 

You left because that little voice inside you said Dream needed more than just his three friends, and maybe you would need him one day, as your friendship grew. A much louder, harsher voice said you’d left enough people you cared about behind, maybe for once to do the noble, knightly thing and actually help someone. 

“I hope the travel went well,” Eret starts. “You’ve been startlingly quiet since you got here.” 

You didn’t think so. Talking could be a monumental challenge for you, depending on the subject. It’s not late enough for secrets and it’s not personal enough for trust. “I guess.” 

“I get that people change, but I had hoped you would have sent a letter. At least one,” Eret said. 

That ugly guilty wall juts up and knocks you flat on your ass. “I’m sorry.” It's the lamest thing you could have said in that moment. 

“Are you really? Are you actually sorry? Or are you saying that to make me feel better?” Eret asked. It didn’t feel judgmental or harsh, just sad. 

“I... suppose so.” 

Eret sighs. “You didn’t even come back for me, or your other friends, did you?” 

Again, it’s more sad than angry. “I didn’t really have friends, you know that.”

“So Wilbur, and Schlatt, and Quackity meant nothing to you?” This time it was angry, but in a tempered way. It felt worn, like it’s been felt before many, many times. “Not even Tommy or Tubbo?”

You shook your head. “Of course they did. You know I loved those kids like my brothers.” 

“They aren’t kids anymore, George. Tubbo runs our neighboring nation, Tommy is his vice president. Wilbur is dead, George. So is Schlatt and Quackity hasn’t been seen since you left.” Eret said. He was bitter, you could tell. And you wouldn’t blame him. You couldn’t. “What’s your reasoning for not being here when it all happened?” 

Your explanation felt like shit, and an awful excuse. “I just kept putting my bullshit in the way of everything. My mistakes and my need to make up for those mistakes. I didn’t mean to break everyone apart.” 

“So then why did you disappear, George? If you didn’t mean for this to happen, why, out of all things you could have done, run?”

You curled in on yourself. The eyes, the suffocating feeling of being trapped. The need to just _get out_ and never look back. It’s too early to tell secrets. “Your guess is as good as mine.” 

The conversation felt done there. Eret got what they wanted. You got what you deserved. The room fell easily into silence, and you felt like a scolded child in the face of it. Confess, it whispered. Confess and accept punishment. You felt like breathing was a risk. You swallowed roughly instead, wincing when Eret spoke up. Eret never usually took themselves seriously, but you forgot that he is a king, a leader, and a strong one. 

“Your masked friend is waiting on the other side of the city,” King Eret said. 

You stood, rushed and guilty, and made for the door. _Fleeing again_ , your traitorous mind whispered. King Eret stood beside it, towering high, perfectly white eyes following you. He stopped you with a hand on your shoulder. Their clawed fingers dug in a little. 

“I did forgive you, you know? A long time ago. The others might be or have been different but if you wanted to come back…” He said, and he sounded sad again. 

You shook your head to the unspoken offer. “I wish.” 

~~~~

You joined the rest of your group in the dining hall, after leaving King Eret in your room. The room (it’s not your, not anymore). You didn’t feel like eating though, despite the massive amounts of clearly well cooked food set out to be drooled over. King Eret’s words rolled over in your mind. _If you wanted to come back._ No, you left for a reason (what was that reason again?) and you would hold yourself to it (to _what_ ). You slumped in a chair next to Sapnap and tried not to look like something fundamental in you was crumbling down before your very eyes. 

Sapnap sent a glance your way, chewing furiously on a hunk of bread. “Rough conversation?”

You hummed. “A little.” 

“Bread?” He shoved a handful of bread in front of you. 

You stared at it, wondering for a moment if Niki still worked as the castle baker. She always made the best bread and something painful twinges in your chest remembering it. “Not hungry, you eat it.” 

“Can do. It’s really fucking good,” Sapnap said. “I know you probably already know this, but I’m here if you need to talk. I have some experience in rough conversations.” 

You nodded. Your body slumped forward and stuck a hand out to rest your forehead on. “King Eret forgives me. I knew that, at least, but… a lot has changed since I left. I had a reason to not return. Everyone had their eyes on me, Sapnap.” 

“What’d you even do?” 

You wanted to bolt, leave at that very moment. Head back to the forest, forget ever trying to be close to anyone ever again. But the thought of leaving Sapnap, or Bad, or Ant hurt a lot more. They deserved an answer for your skittish behavior. And, just maybe, you trusted them enough to not immediately drop you. It was difficult to even start talking, your mouth opening and closing a few times before you remembered how vocal cords work. “I... I got the previous king killed,” You admitted quietly. “I was his personal guard and I failed. I failed my country. He was a good person, and I just _let_ him die.” 

“I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, George,” Bad said sympathetically from across the table. 

“Yeah, if he was so good, then why have I never heard of him?” Sapnap agreed. 

You breathed harshly out through your nose. It was your fault, you froze in the face of danger and it cost your country everything. Your throat feels tight. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

A knight’s honor was all they had sometimes. You had no family, no relatives, just people you loosely considered friends. Half of them left you before you joined the guard and ascended the ranks. The previous king was the closest thing you had to family, his kind eyes you only vaguely remember. He never really acted like a king to you, more like a brother. The two of you were inseparable. You took a moment to breath and clear the memories from your head. When you closed your eyes they _burned_. 

A hand landed on your back. Sapnap rubbed up and down for a moment. “I meant it, when I said I didn’t care. I don’t think you could be a bad person if it’s eating you up this much, uhh, how years down the road?” 

You held up five shaky fingers. “Five years.” Your voice wobbled and you winced when you felt tears grace your cheeks, hot and itchy. 

“Exactly, five years is a very long time to dwell on this,” Sapnap assured. 

You let out a choked sob. You didn’t dwell on it, you fucking fled. You ran away and built a house in the middle of nowhere, hoping that your problems wouldn’t catch up with every wooden plank you added. You learned to ignore this awful guilt, the unbearable feeling of eyes, and the whispers of harsh words in your mind. You didn’t dwell on it, you tossed it aside and beat it with a stick whenever it tried to get back up. 

You sniffed loudly, hating the taste of tears and snot on the back of your tongue. Your stomach felt shaky and you could only imagine the headache that’s going to follow this. “I’m sorry, you didn’t sign up for my bullshit.” 

“Hey! Language. It’s not that if it’s hurting you, George,” Bad argued. 

“Like it or not Georgie, you’re one of us now,” Sapnap teased. He threw his arm around you and pulled you into his side to the best of his ability. 

“Does that mean we’re the four muffinteers now?” Ant asked. 

Bad gasps. “Oh my goodness, yes!” 

You laughed kind of wetly. You realized in that moment that this is the closest people have gotten to you since the king. You leaned into Sapnap's side a little harder, ignoring the arm chair digging into your side. Sapnap squeezed you tighter into his side and you’d never felt this warm before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any theories on who the previous king was? :)  
> Also, thank you very much for reading I appreciate it. thank you for being patient as well, I know it took a long time for me to update this. I got hit with major writers block. Thanks for sticking with me.


	4. Atonement and Return (and how you came to understand)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At one point, Bad started telling a story. He talked about an old warrior’s legend he heard during his training, of a land far off in the distance where people didn’t respawn.
> 
> “They don’t die, though. Not like we die when we do die permanently,” He explained. “They become something different. The legend always changed on what they became, some said animals, some said amalgamations of different creatures or plants and humans.” 
> 
> “That’s kinda weirdchamp,” Sapnap interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok i suck at endings bare with me here. That's why it took longer for me to get this out when i answered a comment by saying it would be out the next day. I got in a writing mood and just banged out like 4 pages in one day lmao rip my brain. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos or just read it if you didn't leave kudos. I appreciate it and it's a huge mood boost to see that people like my works.
> 
> on a less personal note, i got a Shimeji (desk top screen pet kind of) of Techno and it's so fucking cute holy shit he sits down and has a potato in his arms, sometimes he falls from the top of my screen i love him he looks so fluffy.

Your horses were all brought to you at the back exit to the Pride Palace. King Eret did not see you out, and you weren’t sure if that made you relieved or guilty. You still stuffed it deep down below for another day. You were in the lead, despite Bad having the compass. You knew these roads well enough to get you to the outer edge of the city, where Bad would take over with the compass to find him. You lead them down one of the four main roads, twisting and turning through the older part of town. These houses were closer to the original houses of the city, if you remembered your history lessons correctly. They all look like cottages, with plots of land big enough for farming. The other side of the city is far more cramped and industrial. 

“This whole place was built to be siege resistant, almost completely self sufficient,” You explained when Ant asked. “Farms to give products to the other side of town. Underneath our feet is a vast network of mines. They were abandoned when I was still a kid, though.” 

“That’s cool,” Sapnap said. 

“Also keeps the city relatively mob free, too. They all dwell down there rather than up here.” It was easier to talk about impersonal things about your city. You grew up here, it would always be your home, even if you felt unwelcome. You were damn proud of your country, one of the most advanced in the whole world. Only L’manburg rivals it, and they’re close allies. “There used to be competitions between all the countries, using the mobs down below.” 

“Isn’t that where the Blood God got famous?” 

“I mean, yes and no. He was already well known for being the prince of the Antarctic Empire but he joined the festivals once or twice,” You said. “I’m less knowledgeable in that since they stopped hosting them here.” 

The last king, your king, used to love the festivals. They were his idea, and out of respect, the city stopped hosting them.

“You know, I used to dream about going to those,” Sapnap said. “My parents always said no. I think I was like fourteen when they stopped. Too young to participate anyways.” 

You pressed your lips closer together to stop yourself from saying sorry. “Some of them were brutal. Even with respawning, the injuries were awful.” 

“All we heard about was the prestige, how almost anyone could join as long as you were healthy, and how rich you could get,” Sapnap admitted. 

“Well, no one died permanently unless they were cheating when they died. So, it’s not like people cared about the psychological scars,” You informed. “We’re almost at the wall, by the way. Bad, you’re up.” 

Bad nodded and maneuvered his horse further up in front of your small group. He pulled the compass out at the next turn in the road, pausing for a moment, before taking a right. The houses on this street were quaint, and obviously hand built from scratch. This was the charming, simpler part of the city. 

The four of you followed the compass to one of the gates, nodding to the guards as they let you out. The compass pointed straight ahead, unwavering. You strained your eyes against the grey ground, looking for the bright yellow of Dream, like he would just be there after almost a month of traveling, looking for him. Your journey felt like it was coming to a close, even without yet seeing your friend. 

You guessed leaving the city just feels like that, like opening a new chapter. Flat plains ahead, open, blue sky. You breathed in the air, the lessened smell of manure and grass. This time, you weren’t running. It still hurts to think about how you just stood there, in shock and watched your best friend die (you remember screaming, the day of King Eret’s coronation, into your tear stained pillow. _It hurt so bad_ ). There was a village just outside of a forest in this part of the land. Your group decided to leave the horses, you could come back for them, but the woods here are thick. You patted your horse’s snout before heading in the direction of the woods. 

You entered the forest, not unlike your woods back home, moss on the trees, the rocks, under your feet. Birch trees flashed white deeper in the woods and you finally let your mind hover on the mask in your inventory. The needle never wavered on the compass, either Dream was moving in a straight line or standing still. Bad had his sword out, hacking at the bushes when they got too thick. 

At one point, Bad started telling a story. He talked about an old warrior’s legend he heard during his training, of a land far off in the distance where people didn’t respawn.

“They don’t die, though. Not like we die when we do die permanently,” He explained. “They become something different. The legend always changed on what they became, some said animals, some said amalgamations of different creatures or plants and humans, I once heard that people who died grew wings and flew up into the clouds there.” 

“That’s kinda weirdchamp,” Sapnap interrupted. 

“I mean, it was a story to scare the younger recruits. It was supposed to be weird,” Bad divulged. “I always thought it was kind of mean to scare the newbies. The most popular version was the amalgamation one, people really liked to talk about how plants would grow from under their skin when they died.” 

You shuddered. “That sounds awful.” 

“Scared the muffins out of me when I first joined. Hacking at the bushes made me think of it.” bad hesitated on his next swing, but only for a moment. “It’s just a story though. I thought since George shared something from his past today, I would make it fair.” 

“Thanks?” You said hesitantly. “I wouldn’t compare telling history to a horror story about plants while we’re walking through a forest, though.” 

Sapnap chuckled, sticking his face close yours. “Awww, is Gogy scared of the plants?” 

“No, shut up.” You shoved him away with a grin. “I am not scared of plants.” 

“‘I am not scared of plants’” Sapnap said, mocking George’s accent. He plucked a long piece of grass and waved it in your face, making an ‘oooooooo!’ sound as he did so. 

Unimpressed, you snatched it away from him. “Not fucking scared of plants, Snapmap.” 

“Don’t call me that!” 

“Guys, stop it. Look,” Bad called, pointing a finger forward. 

A clearing in the trees sprawled out in front of him. A field of flowers you wished you could have seen all the colors for. In the center of the field stood a familiar figure, facing away from you. He had grown antlers, apparently, and from those antlers you recognized the lanterns you left for him once. The mirth of bickering with Sapnap drained from you, leaving you nervous for some reason. 

The four of you poured into the clearing, stepping over the long grass at the border of the field. Dream’s head turned quickly, the lanterns creaking. He had a different mask on, one made of birch wood this time, little dips of dark black marring the usual perfect white expanse. His bright yellow cloak had gotten longer and significantly dirtier. Sticks and twigs seemed to push out from his shoulders. He still made your heart leap to your throat with anxiety. You’re not sure if it’s your own fault, or if it’s just a side effect of _Dream_. 

The smell of the moss, dirt and tree bark clogged your nose. 

“Hi,” He said simply, like he didn’t disappear for almost a year and a month and lead you to the right path of overcoming your past (‘the bastard must have planned this,’ a fleeting thought whispered).

Sapnap pushed past you and pulled Dream into a tight hug. Bad and Ant followed quickly, and you watched, smiling softly. You got it now, you understood. You may not have been incredibly close to Dream, but it felt good watching the four of them stand there and embrace, knowing you helped. You also think Sapnap cried, just a little bit, and you made the decision to not tease him about it later. 

It was a little bittersweet to see them so close and remind yourself of what you purposefully cut yourself off from. Of what you missed so greatly. You stared at the scene, remembering the most important thing in your possession, now that you had the opportunity to return it. 

You pulled the mask from your inventory, brushing your thumb over the smooth bone at the edge. You fully expected the four of them to stay with you until you reach your home and then never see them again. You were glad to have an impact on their lives, a positive one at that. You hoped that you’d be ready for a deep friendship the next time it faced you. 

When they separated you stepped forward and presented the mask to Dream gently. He took it equally as gently and uttered a quiet thank you. He slipped the birch bark mask off and for a few seconds his face was exposed. Sapnap drew in a sharp breath beside you, while your heart stopped entirely. He had familiar kind eyes, and freckles you remembered memorizing in a very different time, under very different circumstances (his cheeks were cold that time, and his eyes were closed, and you wept so hard you almost passed out). You could almost picture the crown on his head. 

Then the bone mask slid into the place and he buckled it behind his head. You still didn’t breathe, afraid that maybe in your mind you had made up this little fantasy world and you would wake up the moment you acknowledged it. 

“Hi, George,” he said softly. “I missed you, you know?” 

“Oh my god,” You cried. “This is real, right? How? You died, _I watched you die_.” 

Dream chuckled. “I don’t think I can die, not really. Perma-death isn’t an option for me.” 

You thought back to Bad’s story, about people changing after they die. It didn’t seem so scary anymore. 

“I’m sorry,” You said, sincerely meaning it. “I’m so goddamn sorry. I should have done something, I shouldn’t have just stood there. Forgive me.” 

“I can’t forgive you.” Dream said. Your heart plummeted, but he continued without rest. “I never blamed you in the first place. Understand, George, I can’t forgive you, because there’s nothing to forgive. It wasn’t your fault, even if sometimes it felt that way.” 

You let out a wet sob, the tears you had trouble holding onto falling down your cheeks as you cried. Dream opened his arms and you all but fell into them. You clutched at the back of his cloak, the texture like moss against your face. He held you tight and let you break down. 

“So wait, you know each other?” Bad asked quietly. 

“I used to be the king, Bad,” Dream said in reply. “I used to be his best friend.” 

“Still are,” You croaked out. 

“Still am,” He agreed. 

You just smiled and cried harder. 

~~~~

“I can’t believe it. You knew, you asshole?” You said late that night when everyone but you and Dream were asleep. You didn’t want to go to sleep, afraid that if you woke up he wouldn’t be there ( and maybe you were still suspicious that maybe you were back in your cottage, sleeping and imagining this was real). Dream had his mask settled in his lap, his eyes focused on the fire. 

Dream nodded once, and at least had the decency to look ashamed. “I didn’t know at first. I just handed you a rock to fuck with you. And then you thanked me, and I recognized your voice.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You asked, softly, afraid, for some reason, of his answer. 

“If I’m being honest, I was worried about how you would take it. I needed you to see that it was ok, that people don’t blame you for my death,” Dream explains. “I saw how you cringed from the stars, or how you flinched when the wind seemed to whisper. The trees liked to gossip with the ravens about you.” 

“That’s kind of weird, you talking to trees,” You said. You tried to imagine what trees might sound like and all you could come up with was like a door creaking.

“That’s what you focus on? Me talking to trees? Instead of your issues that literally drove you to building a cottage in the woods to avoid them?” Dream scoffed goodnaturedly. 

“Of course, I ran from my problems before. Old habits die hard,” You joked. 

The two of you giggled softly. You felt much younger in that moment, like a reckless teen again, ready to cause mayhem with your best friend. You’re best friend, who you had back, after five years, after thinking him dead for that long. You sat next to your _best friend_ for the first time in half a decade. How much has changed, beyond Dream’s physical form. 

“We have a lot of catching up to do, don’t we?” Dream said, as if he could read your mind.

“I mean, I haven’t had a proper conversation with you for five years and eleven days,” You replied. “I don’t even know what to say anymore.” 

“Well, how about we start with the good parts and work our way to the not-so-good parts. Sounds good?” 

“You’re a lot of the good parts,” You admitted. “I never felt so alone until you disappeared.” 

Dream dipped his chin down to his chest, picking at the edges of the mask. “I didn’t really want to leave, I just grew impatient of not doing anything. For a lot of the time I was watching you I lived with Sapnap, debating on what to do. I’m sorry.” 

That’s not what you meant, but you worked with it anyways. You wanted to say _‘I’d been lonely for longer than that’_ but you’ll leave that alone in favor of a lighter topic. 

“I don’t blame you for wanting to be cautious. I’m still not good at processing life changing news.” You chuckled bitterly. “I’ve never been good with emotions, you know that.” 

“Mmm. Like that one time that girl, Minx I think her name was? She took you on a date and it ended terribly. You were like a stone statue for like a week after that,” Dream said, smiling ear to ear. “That was so embarrassing for you.” 

Your ears burned and refused to look him in the face. “You promised not to talk about that ever again.” 

“I died, new body, new me,” Dream joked. 

You couldn’t find the words to reply, any witty response dying in your chest as your mood sobered. You grabbed a stick and poked at the fire. You were all too aware that Dream died and came back different. 

“Too soon?” Dream asked, voice soft enough to almost be lost to the sounds of the forest. 

You swallowed hard. “A bit, yeah. I still feel bad for making you like… that.” You gestured with a hand to the antlers and the lanterns, unlit at the moment. 

“What? No. This wasn’t you, George. It would have happened no matter how I… uhh, yeah,” Dream said. His hands came up to unhook the lanterns and set them down by the fire. “I don’t mind it, either. I’m faster now. If you thought I was good at parkour before you should see me now. And I can do that weird teleporting trick where I step into the moss. I mean, the antlers are kind of heavy, but they’ll disappear after a few weeks.” 

“So you’re really not mad?” You asked. He shook his head no, which brought a watery feeling in your chest. “Why?” 

“Shit happens. We can only push forward and work through it. Did you plan my assasination? No. So it’s not your fault that after years of security, someone just showing up to kill me would make you freeze. It’s not your fault George.” 

Your throat tightened up again and you tried not to cry. Crying three times within 24 hours was where you drew the line. After the second time, it’s just sad to cry over the same emotions. At least now these big, impassable feelings didn’t seem so tall or so solid. 

~~~~

Coming home felt weird. You pushed open your door with one hand while carrying a bag with your stuff in the other. The whole place smelled kind of musty, but you assumed with a little bit of cleaning you could make it better. For once you felt alone in a nice way. The other four were putting away the horses while you got started moving back in. You considered yourself lucky you didn’t get robbed; you left your door unlocked. You wanted nothing more than to fall into your nice, soft bed but the considerable dust over almost everything deterred you. 

You set your bag in the doorway. The bed might be dusty, but you should still reset your spawnpoint. Down the hall you went, and into your bedroom. You lit the lantern hanging from the ceiling with the flint and steel on the side and took a deep breath. Under the smell of disuse was the smell of home. You set a hand on the bed, sighing when there was a small tug in your chest as the spawnpoint shifted from your last campsite. 

“Hey, George,” Sapnap called out from a different room. 

You peaked your head out of the door, “Yeah?” 

“Bad and Ant want to head back home, but if you need help with, like, cleaning I can stay,” Sapnap offered. “We did kind of drag you on a month-long quest with little preparation.” 

“I honestly don’t mind,” You said, walking into the kitchen where Sapnap stood. “It was good for me.” 

“You seemed happier on the way back,” Sapnap commented. “I figured it was because we weren’t going through the city. Or because we had Dream back. Did you really know him? Was he really the king?” 

You nodded. “He was a good king.” 

“Why doesn’t anyone remember him?” Sapnap asked. 

“For being a king, he was a very private person. He did good for his country, but usually other people took the credit. He always said it was because he couldn’t be ‘relatable’ to his people. History forgets the boring parts of it.” 

“But it wasn’t really history, not yet. That was like, less than a decade ago,” Sapnap argued. “It’s not like he just disappeared. It sounds like he was assassinated.” 

“He did get assassinated. When people take credit for everything good you do, the mistakes you’ve made, all the bad you’ve done, becomes glaringly obvious,” You said quietly. You ran a hand along the grain of the wood on your wall. “Not even the kindest person in the world is immune to making mistakes. Especially people in power, where your mistakes matter a lot more.” 

“Oh.”

You untensed your shoulders. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him.” 

“Neither did you,” Sapnap assured. “Even if you're the one who punished you for making a mistake. You’re a kind person, George. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over it, especially now that Dream, like, forgives you and shit .” 

You snorted. “Eloquent, Sappitus Napitus.” Your hands trailed down to the half slab countertop, tracing the little swirls of knots in the wood. “I do forgive me, by the way. I still think I failed, but I’m ready to accept that. I’m finally ready to move on.” 

And you were. You felt lighter, easier to breath. Being home no longer felt like hiding out from some great beast. It felt less like a hideout and more like a home. It was all Dream’s doing, leaving and dragging your ass to the city, making you confront the issues you ran from. He knew you would follow, even into your own personal hell, because deep down you are a kind person and willing to face your fears for the sake of someone else, like a proper knight. You froze before, but that isn’t your entire being. Your mistakes and errors were not you. This house now felt like you, instead of an escape. 

The fact that you were speaking to Sapnap casually, joking and letting anyone get closer to you without feeling like it’s another chance to fail told the extent of Dream’s influence on your life. The other four in your little group started to file into your house, and suddenly it’s bustling with energy. Dream explored your books while holding a conversation with Ant, and Bad suggested that you and Sapnap help him cook, and it felt so much more alive and you wondered how you could stand it, running away from people. You shot a glance at Dream, surprised when the eyes of the mask locked onto yours. 

You may have brought Dream back, but he brought a home with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! I'm hella proud of this, i think it's my best work to date. I don't even know where this came from besides wanted something goblin core-ish and thinking that dream would make a fantastic cryptid. Oh yeah, and George's cottage core house haha. I hope it actually shows up first page this time instead of like 3 pages back like what happened with the last chapter. I had a blast writing this though. I think i might actually celebrate with like, idk, dessert or something. Might try and drag my parents into it too, lol. they care not for minecraft block men, but writing a 12,000 word book is an achievement on it's own and I think they can appreciate that. I do want to be an author when i grow up, lol. 
> 
> to that one person who guessed dream in the comments on the last chapter, give yourself a treat ur very smart

**Author's Note:**

> Hoped you liked it. I have a beta reader but i didn’t want to bother her if people didn’t like this fic so if you see it again but it’s not a chapter longer it means my beta reader out in her two cents and i updated it accordingly. 
> 
> I love kudos and comments and the more i get the faster i write because i’d hate to let my lovely readers down. So please let me know what you think, it helps a lot with my motivation.


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